


Coffee Break

by So_Many_Feelings



Category: Game of Thrones (TV), Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Shadowhunters (TV), Teen Wolf (TV), The 100 (TV), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: As always Joffrey is an abusive jerk, F/F, F/M, Implied Physical Abuse, Kid!Stiles, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Verbal Abuse, kid!Lydia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-10-02 18:00:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10223930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/So_Many_Feelings/pseuds/So_Many_Feelings
Summary: Because in my mind there is no such thing as too many coffee shop AUs.





	1. Jamie and Brienne

Thanks to the overwhelming amount of people in the cafe, Jamie began to feel more panicked than he already had been about his meeting with Brienne. He was certain that at any moment his father or sister would appear from one of the corners of the room, ready to try to reason with Jamie. He wanted out of the family business, but Jamie also knew it would take very little for Tywin or Cersi to convince him to rethink his decision to talk to the police.

It had all started when Brienne Tarth joined the same gym that Jamie frequently went to. They were both interested in judo, and despite a rocky start to their friendship, they had grown to respect each other. Brienne liked that Jamie was willing to fight her even though she was a woman, and that he saw her as a worthy opponent. Meanwhile Jamie appreciated that she always called him out on his cocky behavior. 

So when Jamie was stressed about work one day he finally opened up to Brienne about all of the questionable ways his father dealt with his business rivals. The Lannisters were currently in charge of Golden Lion Banking, the most successful bank in the country, but Jamie knew how devoted his father was to keeping their family on top. Tywin's methods ranged from blackmail to kidnapping, and for the most part Jamie obeyed his father's orders. It wasn't until Jamie ran over the young Bran Stark that he understood how far gone he and his family were. While Bran might have survived the accident, he'd never walk again, and Jamie would have to live with that knowledge for the rest of his life.

Somehow Brienne convinced him to talk to one of her supervisors at the police department. They planned to meet at a nearby coffee shop first, so that Jamie could go over his confession one more time with Brienne. As Jamie absentmindedly chugged down his bitter cup of coffee, Brienne assured him that Renault Baratheon would be firm but fair. "You'll probably end up needing to serve a few months in prison, but your family's influence will probably help shorten your sentence, especially since you're voluntarily giving the authorities this information," she explained. 

The thought of going to prison was terrifying to Jamie, but the he saw the strange look of pride on Brienne's face. For most of his life nobody, not even Cersi, had thought he was capable of doing the right thing. But Brienne's small smile helped reassure him, made him eager for her approval. "So Tarth, when I finally do get out of jail, what do you say we meet back here for a cup of coffee? I'll probably be desperate for caffeine once I get sprung." She just rolled her eyes and gave a gruff laugh, but Jamie considered that a yes.


	2. Clarke Griffin and Bellamy Blake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke gets into a fight with a barista at the local coffee shop.

When Clarke and her friends had decided to take a study break at the Arcadia Roast Cafe, they'd all been so caffeine deprived that Clarke was surprised nobody had fallen asleep in the library. Well, except for Monty and Jasper, but she was pretty sure they were high, so that didn't count. And it was the thought of her beloved medium vanilla latte that had kept her going since she'd woken up that morning, so she'd gotten a bit defensive when the barista had nearly messed up her order. "I said I wanted a medium vanilla latte, please, not a large," she snapped. Maybe Clarke was being a bit harsh, but after a long day of memorizing hundreds of medical facts, she was starting to get stressed out about finals. 

"Sorry princess, it's been a long day," the barista, Bellamy according to his name tag, quipped back. The remark made Clarke even angrier, but she was guided away from the counter by Finn. 

"He's not worth it Clarke," he tried to explain when she fixed her glare on him. Finn knew how much she hated remarks about her family's wealth, how insecure she felt about people attributing her success to her parent's political power. 

But as she was sitting at the table Clarke reluctantly came to the conclusion that Bellamy's opinion of her made sense. While she normally considered herself a rational person, she could admit that when she was stressed she lashed out at the people around her. And all Bellamy knew about her was that she was a college student who overreacted to a wrong coffee order. And the part of Clarke that needed to please people wanted to change his opinion of her.

She caught him before he left for the end of his shift. "Hey. I just wanted to apologize for snapping at you back there. I guess I'm just a little too emotionally attached to my coffee order." The joke earned her a small smirk, and Clarke tried to ignore the fluttering she felt in her stomach when she saw his dimples.

"Trust me princess, you're not the rudest customer I've had today. It's finals week, all the stressed out students are dependent on caffeine to survive, and that can turn some people into actual monsters. One girl threatened to stab me with a plastic knife when she thought I gave her a decaf coffee." 

"Wait, then why do you keep calling me princess if I didn't actually do anything to offend you?" 

Bellamy grinned at her obvious hatred of the nickname. "That's just because you look like a Disney princess." Clarke tried not to blush at the compliment, but she was unsuccessful. "And my sister made me sit through dozens of princess movies when she was little, so I feel like I'm qualified to make that comment."

Struck by a sudden surge of boldness, Clarke held out her hand. "Can I please see your phone for a minute?" she asked. Bellamy grabbed his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it for her. As he did so he had a playful smile on his face.

"Why'd you need my phone, princess?"

"I figured I'd give you my number in case you ever want to see a movie that doesn't revolve around princesses."

"Sounds like a plan. But can you tell me your name first?"


	3. Maggie and Glenn Rhee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glenn learns some surprising news when he goes out for a cup of coffee with his wife.

Glenn was excited to finally see his wife after several weeks apart. He'd gone on a boring company retreat for the security company he worked for, although Glenn still wasn't sure why they had to travel to New York just to learn new marketing strategies. Despite the fact he'd gone to college in Atlanta, he'd grown accustomed to life in the suburbs. He blamed that on Maggie's influence. 

Glenn's heart pulsed in anticipation at the thought of reuniting with Maggie. Her father and sister had just recently died in a car accident, and Glenn had spent a large portion of his trip worrying about how she was doing. Initially he'd been nervous to go on the company retreat and leave his grieving wife alone. But Maggie, always the fighter, had insisted he go on the trip while she stayed back home to help the rest of her family with funeral preparations. 

Maggie was waiting for him at the front of the airport when Glenn finally saw her. The first thing he noticed was that her hair was shorter. But what Glenn was more focused on was how tired she looked. What he wanted more than anything was to see his wife relax.

She hadn't seen him yet, and Glenn used the opportunity to sneak up behind her. "I have to say, I'm a big fan of the new hair."

Maggie hurdled herself into his arms as Glenn started to stroke the back of her head. "You ready to go back home?" she asked.

"Absolutely! But can we make a quick stop for coffee first? I could use the caffeine." 

For a brief second Glenn thought he saw Maggie panic, but he dismissed the notion when she told him that she knew a great coffee shop in the area. 

After they finally got there it was practically empty, so they put their stuff down at one of the booths and went up to order. Normally Maggie stuck with a regular cup of coffee, she wasn't into all of the different flavor options like Glenn was. She would always tease him over how excited he got about pumpkin spice lattes during fall. However, that day she got a decaf coffee, and that's when Glenn finally realized that something was going on with his wife.

"Since when do you drink decaf coffee?" Glenn teased.

"Since I found out I was pregnant," Maggie quipped back. Despite the fact that Glenn had already been expecting the news, he couldn't hold back his excitement. He leaned across the table to kiss Maggie, forgetting about his usual objection to PDA. 

"You know, I was worried you'd be more panicked than you actually are. I figured you'd be at least a little bit nervous about an unplanned pregnancy."

"Yeah, it's kind of nerve wracking, but it's us Mags. I always thought it was only a matter of time until we started a family together."

And Glenn meant it. He was nervous about becoming a dad, but whatever fear he felt was canceled out by his excitement for starting a new future with Maggie.


	4. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At a local coffee shop Katniss runs into an old friend.

Katniss had been waiting at the table for Johanna to come back with their coffee, when out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar head of blonde hair. "Peeta!" she shouted to get his attention. Several customers turned to glare at her, and immediately she regretted her outburst. Besides, Peeta probably wouldn't remember her anyways.

It had been several years since they'd seen each other, but Katniss was still able to recognize her former best friend. When Peeta finally turned around to face her, she saw he had the same easygoing and charming demeanor that he'd had when they were kids. Katniss had forgotten how much she used to love that about him. She'd never been a particularly sociable person, and when they were kids it had been nice to be able to rely on Peeta to do most of the talking.

"Hey Katniss! How've you been lately?"

"Pretty good, just finishing up my senior year of college, how about you?"

"Great actually! I graduated from culinary school and got a job here at the bakery."

"Oh Peeta, that's so great!"

Peeta had always been interested in baking when they were younger, so Katniss wasn't entirely surprised to learn he'd gone to culinary school. What she hadn't expected was to hear that they'd be living in the same area.

"Thanks! I should probably head back to work now, but if you ever plan on stopping by just give me a call. I'll make sure I save you some of the better cupcakes."

Katniss offered him one of her rare smiles. "Thanks, although if you're the one making them, I'm sure they'll all be pretty good."

Peeta blushed. "Like I said, just give me a call anytime you're in the area," he said as he walked away. 

"Well who was that cutie? Is he that ex-boyfriend you told me about once?" 

Katniss refused to acknowledge Johanna's question and reached for her coffee. While she and Johanna were friends, she didn't love the idea of telling people about her personal life. Besides, nothing had happened between her and Peeta yet. 

"Hey Johanna, how was class today?" she asked. Johanna was in a history of American government class that she hated, and she took every chance she had to complain about it, along with how she thought the teacher, Professor Snow, was a "sadistic bastard." 

She listened absentmindedly while her friend spoke. It wasn't until they were about to leave that Katniss asked, "do you want me to grab a couple of cupcakes for later?"


	5. Margaery Tyrell and Sansa Stark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Margaery is not impressed by Sansa and Joffrey's relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, I've had had a lot of school work to finish before graduating. Also, be forewarned that there are a few mentions and examples of Joffrey being abusive.

Margaery had been waiting in line to order her coffee when she heard the familiar and nasally voice of Joffery Baratheon. "Sansa, why does your family always have to be so weird whenever I go to pick you up? Honestly, you're lucky you're hot enough that I'm willing to put up with them for you." Whoever he was with, probably the girlfriend he was always complaining about, didn't seem interested in defending herself. Normally she would've left the situation alone and let the couple work out their own problems, but this was Joffery. She'd been stuck in the same poli-sci classes with him for the past to years, and he had somehow managed to ware down her normally charming and bubbly exterior with his constant smarminess and superior attitude. He thought he could do anything he wanted just because his father was the dean of the school, and Margeary was eager for the opportunity to take him down a peg.

Whenever he'd brought her up, Margaery had always pictured Joffery's girlfriend as a pretty if slightly dull girl who followed him around like a lost puppy. She should've known better than to listen to anything he said, because when she turned around she saw a gorgeous redhead with a guarded expression on her elegant face. It took Margaery a second to recompose herself, but once she'd collected her thoughts she greeted the couple with a bright smile and an extra coffee. "Joffrey! I thought I recognized you when I was ordering my coffee. This place is absolutely packed, do you mind if I sit down with you guys?"

"I'm sure we can make room," Joffrey replied with an infuriating smirk. If his girlfriend minded that another girl was crashing their date she didn't mention it, if anything she looked somewhat relieved to no longer be alone with her boyfriend. She offered Margeary a shy smile when she took a seat next to her, but made no attempt at small talk.

As usual, Joffrey took the opportunity to start bragging about himself. "Hey Marge, did you hear about I completely owned Professor Selmy in class the other day? The old fool was trying to say that the Targaryens have been the most influential family in the history of the school. I don't know how that could have been possible when Aerys thought was the idiot who tried to cut the political science program from the school. The university would've gone bankrupt if my father hadn't stepped in!" he ranted. 

Margaery was ready to correct him, to mention that despite Aery's flawed business strategy, it was the Targaryen family who had started Kings Landing University in the first place. Joffrey never reacted well when anyone corrected him, he'd just pout and whine about how he was right. Honestly, it was like dealing with a toddler, but Margaery was admittedly all too eager to see him lose it in front of the crowded cafe. But before she had the chance to seize her oppritunity continued to rant. "And then that upstart Robb Stark tried to side with Selmy," he said with clear annoyance, "Sansa does your brother really think he can just brown nose his way to the top?"

There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere of the table, and everything became even more awkward if that was even possible. Sansa fixed an icy stare at Joffery, her jaw clenched as she began to speak in a voice far more commanding than what Margaery had expected. "The Starks are actually already an incredibly successful political power in the north, I suspect Robb's comment had more to with your own stupidity than his desire to please Selmy."

Sansa's victory was short lived as Joffery lurched across the table to grab the back of her head. "Do you know how generous I've been with you? One word from me and the entire Lannister family will make sure you don't make it to graduation you horrid little..." he was practically growling at Sansa, manhandling the sides of her face in an attempt to make sure she was listening. 

"You're not the only one with a powerful family, Joffery."

There was an intense rush of movement, and in an instant Margaery took in the scene around her, saw Joffery's intent to strike Sansa, as well as Sansa's bitter acceptance of what was about to happen. All Margaery could think to do was yank the younger girl to her side of the booth. With shaking hands she helped Sansa stand and gently pushed her into the more crowded section of the restaurant, hoping that would dissuade Joffery from trying to go after them. But of course Joffery, who liked to think he was invincible, tried to go after them, so Margaery did the only thing that her mind was able to come up with. She grabbed her cup of coffee and threw it in his face. She ran without daring to look back. 

She found Sansa by the main entrance, eyes frantic and body tensed. "Relax, he's not here yet, but we have to go now before he catches up to us," Margaery explained as she guided the redhead to her car. Once she was sure they were both safely in the car she got Sansa to open up about her relationship with Joffrey. Apparently their fathers had been best friends when they were kids, and as a result Sansa and Joffrey ran into each other every once in awhile. They eventually started dating their senior year of high school, and at the time Joffrey acted like the perfect gentleman. But as soon as they went away to college and moved in together Joffrey became more possessive and abusive. 

"Do you have any place to stay?"

"Admittedly I think my brother Robb has been getting suspicious about what was going on between me and Joffrey for awhile, he'll probably be overjoyed to have me stay with him. Thank you for the offer though. And for everything else." There was a certain amount of admiration in the tone of Sansa's voice, and it caught Margaery off guard, made her feel flustered.

"Honestly, it was no problem. Although, I will insist that you take my phone number, just in case you need anything else." And despite the confidence that she usually carried herself with, Margaery offered Sansa a sheepish grin, well aware of the fact it was an inappropriate time to ask her on a date.


	6. Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec finally allows Izzy to set him up on a blind date.

Alec loved his sister, and he knew she meant well, but he felt nothing but dread in the pit of his stomach as he walked towards the coffee shop towards the blind date Izzy had somehow convinced him to go on. He was glad that she'd been so accepting of the fact he was gay, although he had never officially come out to anyone in his family. As the oldest child he'd always felt it was his responsibility to be the perfect son and he wasn't sure how his ultra-conservative parents would handle the news he liked guys. But of course Izzy, always eager to see Alec happy, had pestered him for months until he relented and agreed to let her set him up with a mutual friend.

Right before he entered the coffee shop Alec tried to psych himself up, to convince himself that maybe he could have a fun time on this date. Then he walked towards the only other single room, and for a moment he saw nothing but glitter. 

"Uh...pardon me sir, are you Magnus Bane?" Alec stuttered out, caught off guard by both the man's flamboyant appearance and cat-like eyes.

"Yes, and I'm guessing you're Alexander? Your sister has told me quite a bit about you, it's nice to finally meet you."

Even under the best circumstances Alec was a fairly socially awkward person, but the fact that this was the first time he'd ever been on date with a guy made everything ten times worse. Magnus tried several times to start a conversation, he asked Alec about school, his hobbies, and his family. The entire time Alec was so preoccupied by the fact that even if his date with Magnus ended well, he didn't know if he'd ever reach a point where he'd feel comfortable enough to bring him, or anyone else, home to meet his family. And that was an unfair position for him to put Magnus in, always asking for their relationship to remain hidden.

"Now Alexander, I usually don't try to play therapist, but can I tell you something I've observed about you in just the past thirty minutes?" Magnus asked. Unsure of how to respond, Alec simply nodded his head and allowed him to continue. "You seem completely incapable of allowing yourself to have fun. Why is that?"

"Admittedly, I'm nervous about this date," Alec confessed. 

"Is it because of the glitter?" Magnus quipped back, trying to ease the tension.

"I mean at first the glitter wasn't helping, but honestly I've never been open with my family about the fact I'm gay."

"Wasn't your sister the one who set us up?"

"I mean, I think my siblings have all figured it out over the years, but I still haven't told my parents. And I know it's not fair for me to start a relationship with someone when I'm still struggling to fully be myself around my family."

And Alec had expected that would convince Magnus to walk away, to decide that the introvert with a bunch of family issues wasn't worth the time. Instead, he drew his chair closer to the table and said, "You know Alexander, I think anyone who realizes how special you are would be willing to give time to figure out how to deal with your family."

Alec tried to ignore the heat rushing to his face. "And what makes you think I'm worth the wait?"

"Well maybe I can just sympathize what it feels like to be afraid of losing the people you care about. In all honesty, my parents didn't have the greatest reaction when I came out to them, so trust me when I say that I sympathize with what you're going through." 

And in spite of the fact that on paper he and Magnus made almost no sense, one insecure and withdrawn and the other bold and outspoken, for the first time he looked at Magnus and saw the future they could have together. More dates, meeting each other's friends, getting to know one another better. And maybe at some point, once he feels comfortable enough, bringing him home to meet his parents.

"Besides, somebody has to teach you how to have some fun."

"Okay fine, as long as it doesn't involve us buying matching leather pants."

"Alright, if you insist, but I happen to think you'd look wonderful in them."


	7. Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At first Finnick doesn't know what to think of his new coworker.

It was a Sunday afternoon when Annie Cresta walked into Coffee District in search of a job. Even after Mags decided to hire her it took awhile for Finnick to fully warm up to the girl. Not that he was trying to be a jerk, it's just that Annie had an aloof nature that made it difficult to get to know her.

Then Mags, his lovable, 90-year old, mute boss, had the brilliant idea to update all of the café's social media accounts. "We need more customers," she signed, "and you're good at all that computer stuff, you can be in charge of it."

"I guess I can use my gorgeous face to attract more customers," he signed back.

"Oh, Annie should help too, so she can keep up with everything when you go back to school." The mention of his inevitable return to Panem University made Finnick feel nauseous. He began to panic about eventually having to return to school, dreading the stressed out atmosphere that constantly surrounded the university.

Mags could tell something was bothering him, looked like she was about to try to comfort him, but he brushed her off. "Sure, sounds cool, I'll go let Annie know."

When Finnick finally found Annie in the back she just nodded her head when he mentioned Mags' plan. It bothered him more than he wanted it to that she wasn't as excited as most girls would be to spend several hours alone with him. She just went back to brewing the coffee. 

A couple of hours later they'd closed down for the night, and Finnick and Annie found themselves squished together in Mags' office, which was roughly the size of a shoebox. The cramped quarters caused Finnick to bump into Annie a couple of times. "Sorry," he muttered, trying not to get to get too offended each time she practically jumped away from him.

"No, it's fine," Annie tried to joke, "it's not your fault we're working in a glorified closet." 

As far as he was aware, Finnick had never heard Annie talk before, and the sound of her voice took him by surprise. It was higher than he expected, not shrill but still quite bell-like. 

"So she speaks at last! Although I must say, it stings a little bit that it took so long for you to try to strike up a conversation with me." The remark made her grin. "Nothing like some self-deprecating humor to make friends."

"I just think it's nice to know you care about my opinion of you." Finnick couldn't help but notice that when Annie actually bothered to smile she had these adorable dimples. The sight of her, the way it felt like his chest was starting to vibrate, it all caught him off guard. 

"Well, you can't let anyone else know this, but I actually care a lot about what people think of me." 

"I don't think that's true. I think you're only concerned about what the people you care about think of you."

Annie's assessment was more spot on than Finnick would've liked, but he meant what he said. He didn't know why he was suddenly so concerned about what the quiet girl sitting next to to him thought about him, he just did. 

"So what were you thinking about trying to do? I know we should probably update the website, but I think we should also make a schedule to plan what days were going to post on places like Twitter and Instagram." It was almost like Annie could sense that Finnick was becoming tense over the direction of their conversation, and he was grateful that she was the one to refocus the discussion back on their work.

"Okay, so daily posts about our specials, latte art on Wednesdays, and then funky-combo Friday. That sounds completely manageable."

"I still think Friday's posts should be dedicated to my abs," Finnick joked. 

"How would we keep that up once you're away at school?"

"Ugh, don't remind me! Is it too late to drop out of university at this point?"

Despite Finnick's attempt to keep his voice light and playful, the atmosphere grew sober. "I take it Panem University isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"There's a reason why the school has the highest suicide rate in the country. Everyone is just so stressed out all the time because all anyone ever wants to do is be at the top of their classes. Last week I saw a girl pass out from a caffeine overdose during finals, and once she was conscious all she could talk about was finishing her test. And the professor let her! It's just this unhealthy environment where nobody seems happy and everyone is working themselves to death, and I wish I knew what a toxic environment it was when I was younger."

"Why don't you just leave? Transfer schools or something like that?"

"And risk getting blacklisted by the entire business community? Because   
Professor Snow just got promoted to being dean of the school, and that man has had it out for me since day one, he doesn't need anymore motivation to ruin my life. At this point the best I can do is finish out the rest of the year."

"So it's more about sticking it to some professor than your own emotional well-being?"

"Basically. Although, to be fair, I never claimed I was a smart person."

Annie didn't look entirely satisfied with his answer, but she let the subject drop. They continued to work for a few more hours until Finnick felt his eyelids growing heavy. He thought he could shut his eyes for a few seconds, but the next thing he knew he was asleep.

Annie and Finnick were woken up the next day by a bemused Mags, who was happy to see all of the progress that they'd made. She didn't say anything about the fact they'd fallen asleep curled into one another.

They all focused on their work for the remainder of the morning, and neither Finnick or Annie mentioned what happened the other night. It wasn't until Annie was checking the cash register at the end of the work day that Finnick hesitated a second before making his way to his car. 

"Hey Annie, are you working tomorrow?"

"Yes, why?"

"I figured that now that we're actually talking to one another it might be nice to go out to lunch, get to know each other."

"Alright Odair, sounds like a plan."

"See you in the morning Cresta."


	8. Octavia Blake and Lincoln

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octavia gets lost during a college visit, Lincoln tries to be helpful, and Bellamy gets overprotective.

"Hey big bro, how's it going?"

"Good, I figured we could meet at the cafe down by the admissions office. Sound like a plan?"

"Sure, I'll let you know when I get there."

Octavia had just finished her last orientation session and had called her brother, Bellamy, to try to meet up with him. She had mainly decided to apply to Trigedasleng University because her Bellamy had talked her into it. He was an anthropology major who was about to start his final year of college, and he had a great time in his program. 

When Octavia had been a junior with absolutely no clue what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, he'd suggested the small liberal arts school to her. Bellamy claimed that the smaller class sizes and the seemingly endless list of possible majors and minors would be good for her.

Of course Octavia suspected that the real reason Bellamy was so eager to have her at the same college as him had more to do with his desire to look after her. Again.

"Oh shit!" Octavia muttered to herself. Lost in her thoughts she'd managed to lose track of where she was going.

It was when she went to look at the map that they'd given all of the prospective students that she crashed into somebody.

Honestly it felt more like running into a tree. The man was massive, easily at least a foot taller than Octavia, and built like an athlete. Which probably helped explain why Octavia could already feel a bruise forming on her forehead from where she bumped into his chest.

He reached out to steady her, his arms firmly wrapped around her waist. Despite his stern facial features, he looked more surprised than annoyed, like he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do next.

"Thanks," Octavia laughed, "I guess I should've been paying attention to where I was going."

"No, you were looking at your map, don't worry about it. Do you need help finding any of the buildings?"

"Actually, if you could show me where the Arcadia Roast Cafe is that would be great."

"Sure, no problem."

* * *

The man didn't talk much on the way to the cafe, just told her that his name was Lincoln, but Octavia didn't find the silence to be uncomfortable. He just seemed genuinely interested in listening to her talk about her brother, college, and how she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life.

It wasn't until she was done talking that he finally chimed in. "I had a similar problem my first couple of years of college. The people in my family had so many opinions about what I was supposed to do with my life, all the different career paths they wanted me to go down, it was overwhelming. It didn't help that I never took the time to think about what I wanted to do."

His words struck a chord with Octavia. Where she was normally surrounded by a brother and friends who had their lives all figured out, it was a new experience to have someone who was able to empathize with her uncertainty about what she wanted to become. 

It was a nice feeling.

* * *  
The look of shock on her brother's face when she walked into the cafe with Lincoln was priceless.

Octavia went to grab a seat at the table Bellamy was sitting and motioned for Lincoln to join them. She'd enjoyed his company, and she was also amused by how uncomfortable her brother clearly was to see Lincoln next to his little sister.

However Lincoln, who was obviously unsure about what to do as he glanced back and forth between Bellamy and Octavia, waited a moment to sit down. It was almost as if he was nervous around her brother despite the fact that he was clearly the stronger of the two.

"Hey Bell, this is my new friend Lincoln. He helped me find my way over here."

Bellamy and Lincoln then exchanged a look, one that implied they were debating who was responsible for breaking the news to her.

In the end, it was Lincoln who caved first. "Your brother and I actually know each other already. We're roommates."

"Yep, we're roommates. Buddies. Friends. Friends who don't date other friends significantly younger sisters."

"To be fair I didn't know she was your sister at the time," Lincoln protested, his face growing slightly red, "and all I did was walk her to a coffee shop."

"Well now you know that she's off limits!"

"Excuse you! I don't recall asking you to play matchmaker for me Bellamy. I know the whole overprotective brother thing is your shtick, but trying to dictate who I can and can't date is taking it too far. Besides, you seem to be forgetting that Clarke happens to be several years younger than you."

Octavia's outburst silenced her brother, who looked appropriately ashamed of his words. Meanwhile Lincoln appeared impressed by her argument.

"Now that that's all been settled how about we all grab something to drink. Maybe you two can even convince me to go to school here."


	9. Stiles Stilinski and Lydia Martin

After a long day of running errands with his father, all Stiles wanted was something to eat. "Hey Dad, can we pick up a box of munchkins?" 

"Buddy, I don't think you need a box of sugar right before we have supper. But maybe we can order pizza when we get home, does sound okay? I just want to grab a cup of coffee first."

Stiles nodded, satisfied with his father's offer to buy pizza for supper.

His father led him to the table closest to the long line of people waiting to buy coffee. "Stay right here Stiles," he ordered.

However Stiles, who had never been able to sit still for more than a minute, started to swing his legs back and forth. That's how he accidentally hit the chair behind him. 

"Be careful," a stern yet delicate voice commanded, "You almost made me spill my hot chocolate."

When he went to turn around, Stiles saw that the voice actually belonged to Lydia Martin.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to kick you," Stiles muttered, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

"Well try to be more careful next time," Lydia said as she studied Stiles' face. "Hey, you look familiar, do I know you from somewhere?"

"Yeah we're, uh, in the same class at school. Not that you'd know that, we don't really see each other that often. Usually you're with your friends and I'm with Scott so..."

"Do you always talk this much?"

"Yes." The truth was that despite her petite size, Stiles found Lydia to be quite intimidating. She was easily the smartest kid in the third grade, maybe even smarter than the teachers. She was also really pretty, there was something about her bright strawberry-blonde hair and doll-like features that caught Stiles off guard, almost as if he had no control over the words coming out of his mouth.

"I guess that explains it." It looked like Lydia might have wanted to say more, Stiles wished that she would, but instead she just took a sip of her hot chocolate. A part of Stiles wondered if she was hoping he would leave her alone, but the rest of him wanted to stay with her as long as possible. Most of the time kids like Lydia didn't have a reason to hang out with kids like Stiles.

"Alright kiddo, ready to head home?"

"Yeah, I guess," Stiles said, turning to get one last look at Lydia. She was staring at him intently, as if she was still trying to figure out who he was.

So Stiles, who wasn't quite ready to leave, turned around to tell Lydia, "I'll see you on Monday." At first he wasn't sure she heard him.

Then she raised her head and said, "Yes, I suppose I will." 

It might have been Stiles' imagination, but he could've sworn Lydia gave him a slight smile before he left with his dad.


End file.
